This document discusses fad dieting and provides information on healthy eating and weight maintenance. It notes that over 68% of Americans are overweight or obese and fad diets that promise quick weight loss are popular but often nutritionally deficient and do not support long term weight maintenance. A healthy diet includes all major food groups and nutrients for overall health. Maintaining a balanced calorie intake and output through moderate physical activity is a sustainable approach for weight management compared to restrictive fad diets that typically fail.

1. FAD DIETING
K R I S T I N G U N D E R S O N

2. WHY DIET?• 68.8% of Americans are
considered overweight.
• 35.7% of Americans are
considered obese
• Alabama is the 2nd most
obese state in the US
• 1 out of 3 children ages 2-19
are overweight, with 18% of
children obese
• Obesity increases the risk of
many diseases such as:
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Cancer
• Disease can be reduced by
reduction of weight and
increase of daily activity
• Individual who are obese
seek quick weight loss,
thus causing one to turn to
fad dieting.

3. Growth Rate Of Obesity vs.
Growth of Dieting

4. WHAT IS A
DIET FAD?
• A fad diet can be
defined as a plan which
"promises that you will
lose weight fast or at
an unrealistic pace... is
based on a single
study... refers to foods
as 'good' or 'bad'... use
personal testimonies to
'sell' the diet... involves
crash dieting, or very
intense reductions in
eating or drinking"
(Vann).

5. EXAMPLES OF POPULAR FADS
• Paleo: a diet based on the types of foods
presumed to have been eaten by early humans,
consisting chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables, and
fruit, and excluding dairy or grain products and
processed food.
• Vegetarian/Vegan: restrict the consumption of
meat and animal products.
• Gluten Free: excludes the protein gluten, which
is the main ingredient in common foods such as
bread, pasta and grain based items
• Cleanse/ Juicing/ Detox: diet based on fruit
juices and limited whole foods in order to
remove toxins from the body

7. WHY FAD DIETING?
o WEIGHT LOSS
o OVERALL HEALTH BENEFITS
o EASY AND QUICK
o PROMOTED BY MEDIA
o POPULARITY

8. WEIGHT LOSS
FAD DIETING
• It is scientifically proven that there is
no common diet fad followed by all
successful dieters which has been
effective in long term weight loss (Hill
and Wing).
• Fad dieting often causes weight gain
because "a diet resulting in quick
weight loss without meeting
nutritional needs can lead to regaining
weight rapidly if one reverts back to
his or her old eating habits" thus
setting an individual up for complete
failure when they realize a fad is not
maintainable long-term (Vann).
HEALTHY EATING
• Solution to maintaining a healthy weight, as
stated by Hill and Wing, is due to "six key
strategies: 1) engaging in high levels of
physical activity; 2) eating a diet that is low
in calories and fat; 3) eating breakfast; 4)
self-monitoring weight on a regular basis;
5) maintaining a consistent eating pattern;
and 6) catching 'slips' before they turn into
larger regains"
• USDA's current dietary guidelines,
recommends "fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy
products... Includes protein foods such as
poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts and lean
meats... Choosing foods that are low in
saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars"
for weight management (MyPlate).

9. OVERALL HEALTH BENEFITS
FAD DIETING
• Fad dieting may cause disease as they are
commonly deficient in several necessary
vitamins and minerals. For example:
– a vegan diet tends to lack vitamin B12,
riboflavin, calcium and iodine (Loue and
Sajatovic)
– paleo diets lack B vitamins (specifically
thiamine, folate, niacin and riboflavin),
calcium and protein ("Paleo Diets")
– raw food diets have several associated
nutrient deficiencies such as low protein
intake, minimal energy intake, deficient
vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D, calcium and
zinc ("Raw Food").
• deficiencies overtime may cause
osteoporosis, cancer and anemia if not
supplemented properly under a doctor’s
consent
HEALTHY EATING
• A healthy, balanced diet, which includes all
major food groups, promote the intake of
all needed vitamins and minerals which
help the body to function properly.
• Body needs:
– Calcium for bone growth and support,
provided by milk, cheese and yogurt
– Iron for red blood cell and muscle support
along with immune function, supplied by
red meat, egg yolks and oily fish
– Magnesium used to convert food to energy
in the body, cell repair and regulation of
body temperature, high in whole grains
and nuts

12. EASY AND QUICK
FAD DIETING
• Diets such as Weight Watchers, Slim Fast
and Nutrisytem are based off of pre-
made meals and snacks
• Offer pre-made meal plans for the week
• Have strict food selection and portion
control
• Less food decisions to make daily
• HOWEVER: Fad dieting costs on average
$140 per week or $7,280 per year
HEALTHY EATING
• Require meal planning, grocery
shopping and cooking at home
• Require individual meal selection
• Less strict guidelines and more freedom
to eat what one wants
• Constant food decisions and flexibility
• Cost on average $55 per week or $2,860
• HEALTHY EATING COSTS $4,420 less
per year compared to the average fad
diet (“Cost of Diets”)

13. MEDIA PROMOTION

14. WHY DO FAD DIETS FAIL?

15. SOLUTION
o H E A L T H Y D I E T
o W E I G H T M A I N T E N A N C E
o M O D E R A T E E X E R C I S E

16. WHAT IS A HEALTHY DIET?
• Diet is defined as "the amount
and kind of food and drink that
a person takes in a day. It also
refers to food selections
planned to meet specific
requirements of the individual,
by including or excluding
certain foods" (Loue and
Sajatovic).
• United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) promotes a
healthy, balanced eating plan
for American’s through their
MyPlate program which
emphasizes moderation of all
food groups along with daily

17. MYPLATE GUIDELINES:

18. • All vitamins and minerals
needed in various amounts
to support a healthy, strong
body and mind.
• Restrictive meal plans limit
these nutrients producing
fatal deficiencies and
disease in the body.
• Vitamins and minerals are
produced by various
sources, thus highlighting
the importance for a well-
balanced meal plan and
variation within a diet.
• Most nutrients are from
natural whole foods, not
man-made products.

21. WHAT IS HEALTHY WEIGHT MAINTENANCE ?
• USDA says that "as you age, manage your calories to
stay at a healthy weight. This will prevent gradual weight
gain over time" (MyPlate).
• Suggested to learn how to balance your “energy in” and
“energy out” over the long run.
– “Energy in” is the calories from foods and beverages you
have each day.
– “Energy out” is the calories you burn for basic body
functions and physical activity.
– Balance the calories you take in with the calories you burn
through physical activities in order to maintain weight.
– To lose weight, “Energy out” must be greater than “Energy
in”
• By slowly decreasing calories and increasing exercise,
one is able to lose weight at a steady and healthy rate
without the risk of nutritional deficiencies.

22. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
• Being physically active daily can help you:
– increase your chance of living longer
– decrease disease (including: heart disease, type 2
diabetes, high blood pressure and risk of stroke)
– feel better about yourself
– sleep well at night
– move around more easily
– stay at or get to a healthy weight
• at least 150 minutes each week of aerobic physical
activity at a moderate level or 75 at vigorous
intensity
– Includes:
• Cardiovascular Endurance (running, swimming, biking)
• Strength Training (weight lifting, body weight
movements)

23. SOLUTION
• Healthy balanced meal
plan, including all
micro and macro
nutrients in
moderation.
• Weight maintenance,
gradual weight loss or
gain.
• Daily physical activity
and planned exercise
each week.

24. WORKS CITED
"Choose MyPlate." Choose MyPlate. N.p., 01 May 2015. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Hill, James, and Rena Wing. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Long-term
Weight Loss Maintenance. N.p., July 2005. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Loue, Sana and Martha Sajatovic. "Diet." Encyclopedia of Women's Health. Eds.
Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, 2004. Credo Reference. Web. 2 Oct
2015.
"Raw Food Diet - Good for Your Health?." Harvard Medical School Commentaries on
Health. HarvardHealthPublications. Boston: Harvard Health Publications, 2014. Credo
Reference. Web. 2 Oct 2015.
"The Paleo Diet" -- Back to the Stone Age?." Harvard Medical School Commentaries on
Health. HarvardHealthPublications. Boston: Harvard Health Publications, 2014. Credo
Reference. Web. 2 Oct 2015.
"The Truth About Diet Cults." Q by Equinox. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Trivedi, Bijal. "The Good the Fad and the Unhealthy." New Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 02
Oct. 2015.
Vann, Madeline. "The Facts on Fad Diets." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct.